412 CONSTITUTIONAL LA W OF BRITISH DOMINIONS
Chapter acceptance or not of treaty obligations, it only adheres
___' for Newfoundland with the assent of that Dominion.
Nor in theory would that Dominion be refused the
right to conclude a treaty through her own representa-
tive, who would sign the convention if the matter raised
were one of special concern to the Dominion, as, for
instance, would be a compact as to trade with the
United States. It must, however, be remembered that
the obligation to consult the Dominions on treaty
matters involves the right of any of them to object to
separate action by Newfoundland and diminishes the
possibility of Canadian interests being prejudiced by
separate action by that Dominion.
The Dominion is entitled to the regime of discussion
of British policy at the Imperial Conferences and to
consultation on all issues of general concern, as in the
case of the Geneva Protocol of 1924, and the disarma-
ment projects of the British Government. But in issues
of fundamental importance it is contented to adopt
British guidance—and indeed New Zealand has often
accepted a like doctrine without public dissatisfaction.
It is not doubtful that a British declaration of war
would at once apply to Newfoundland, and for the
purposes of the jurisdiction of the Permanent Court of
International Justice, as for representation in the
League of Nations Council and Assembly, Newfound-
land is dependent on the action of the British Govern-
ment, It is not a unit which can be deemed responsible
internationally to a foreign power for any action taken
by it contrary to treaty; for that the United Kingdom
still remains bound to answer, and, if necessary, to
accept the findings of the Court or the intervention
of the League of Nations. Its position thus in these